[Avodah] Whether You Come to Talk to God, to Your Friends or to Both, Shul is a Place For You: A Measured Call Regarding Talking in Shul

[Joseph Kaplan]

> That's not why they talk. They talk because they saw their parents or
> other adults talk. They learned that talking is perfectly acceptable. The
> fact that the Shul has not followed the Mishna Berura and appointed
> people to end the talking merely reinforces the talkers' understanding
> that talking is OK.

Perhaps. But I think the reason people talk is because the service,
including davening and layning, is boring to many.


[Email #2]

> I have often, in my usual style of eschewing normalcy, have gone over
> to people who interrupted their davening for something (eg a woman who
> was davening while waiting for the train, as she sits down in the train
> and reopens her siddur), or the fellow whose mind wantered in shul... I
> would go over to them and say, "Tell Him I say 'hi!'" Of course, they
> can't hear the capital "h". Sad to say, while it's a significant minority,
> only a minority of people get Who I am talking about."

I would hope that this is an exaggeration to make a point and not what
you actually do. I find it hard to believe that you would not understand
that a woman, who with all the time pressure she has in getting the
kids up, breakfasted, and out to school and getting herself ready to
go to work while thinking about dinner and laundry (yes, I understand
I'm being gender stereotypical but from my discussions with members of
our community there's still a great deal of truth in such stereotypes),
should be admired that she finds the time to daven on her commute and
not criticized by a snide remark. I'd add that while I don't know this
for a fact, I'd like to think that God understands her and gets it and,
indeed, sides with her rather than the (fictional I trust) snide remarker.

Joseph
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